Room Keys and Late Night Revelations
by Secrets-and-Smiles
Summary: Set after John Hart leaves at the beginning of Series Two. Rated due to swearing and a mild reference to sex.
1. Chapter 1 of 3

**Author Note: Torchwood is owned by the BBC.**

Chapter One

Jack handed out room keys to Tosh, Gwen and Owen but kept hold of the fourth key firmly in his hand. "Gwen, you can call Rhys if you like…meet him here or something."

Gwen grinned, "thanks … this is really posh he'll love it!" Gwen walked away, dialling Rhys' number.

Ianto looked at Jack for the first time in a while, "do I not get a room then?" he asked.

Jack gripped the key ever so slightly harder, "well….you see they only had four rooms…and we can't ask Tosh and Gwen to share 'cause Rhys is coming…"

"Oh so you assume that we can share right?" Ianto's heckles rose, he was not going to be Jack's part time shag again.

"No…" the cockiness left Jack's voice, "I just thought that we need to talk" he finished quietly.

"Oh yeah? And after we talk where do you sleep eh?" Ianto's voice rose slightly and Tosh and Owen began to feel uncomfortable.

"There's always the couch" Jack shrugged and Ianto snorted, "yeah like that's going to happen." He picked up his coat where he had draped it over one of the sofas in reception and said, "I'm going home."

"Ianto, timelines" warned Jack, "you can't cross-"

"I know!" Ianto interrupted harshly, "I won't cross, I'm never there. I'll see you two tomorrow" he directed at Tosh and Owen and left the hotel lobby.

Gwen walked towards them in confusion, hanging up her mobile, "where's Ianto going?"

"Captain here has fucked up already" Owen scowled.

Jack was confused, "what does he mean that he never goes home?"

"Somebody had to watch the rift Jack…Ianto's been living in the hub since you left." Tosh told him.

Owen looked to his left and saw that some people were staring, he scowled at them and then grabbed Jack by the arm. "Come on we can talk in my room and you're paying for the mini bar."

As soon as Owen's door was shut he rounded on Jack, "what the hell are you thinking Harkness?"

Jack frowned at him, "what?"

"Ianto was gutted when you left absolutely gutted!"

"He didn't tell us" Tosh added sadly, "but we could tell, he started acting like when he started Torchwood…when he was hiding Lisa. He withdrew into himself, took on all this extra work, barely slept really and even when he did it was on the couch in the hub…"

"He wouldn't let us stay too late, always telling me to get back to Rhys" Gwen added.

"We all worked hard when you left Jack but Ianto did the most, he's kept us going these last couple of months. He's taken over all your duties but not told any of those politicians or UNIT that you've left so it would be easier if you came back. Jesus, after your little display we knew that you two were close but he wouldn't tell us a damn thing about you! Always protecting your privacy even though you decided to out him and then run!" Owen snapped.

Jack thought back to his kissing of Ianto and how it must have seemed to the rest of the team after he ran after the Doctor. He could imagine Owen's scorn, Gwen's nosiness and jealousy… And then Ianto himself must have struggled with it, he was a private man, a twenty first century man and he'd been outed to his colleagues and friends and then abandoned.

"And then you come back cocky as ever and expect him to bend over for you immediately!" Owen continued ranting.

Jack scowled, "it's not like that."

"Really?" asked Tosh, "maybe you should be telling Ianto that 'cause that's what it sounded like to the rest of us."

Jack felt ashamed, he should have thought this through better, he'd honestly wanted to talk, he thought than after agreeing to the date Ianto was warming to him again. He should've booked five rooms and then gone to Ianto's later. He'd rushed along as usual and not thought about how his actions would seem.

Tosh saw the Captain's face and softened, "look why don't you give him an hour or two to cool down and then give him a ring? Explain that you didn't mean it like that and then have that conversation you wanted."

"Don't expect him to want to be with you though" said Owen, "I think you hurt Tea Boy more than any of us can realise. He's a proud bloke and you made him feel like shit."

"So do some serious apologising and begging if Ianto is what you really want" added Gwen.

Jack looked at her for a second thinking that that was an odd way to put it before Gwen's phone rang, announcing that Rhys was in the hotel lobby.

"Well I'm off to spend some time with Rhys; we haven't had much time for it lately."

Jack felt more guilt and smiled at Gwen, "why don't you take tomorrow off too?"

Gwen looked uncertain, "you sure?"

"Yep, I'll keep an eye on things in the hub, you guys deserve a break. I'll call if the world decides to end." The smile on Jack's face slipped away as for a second he was back on the Valiant, watching the world burn and scream. Gwen, however, did not notice his change in expression and bid everyone a goodnight before leaving.

Owen looked at Tosh, "fancy ordering some room service?" he asked. He kicked his shoes off and sat down on his bed, flicking through the menu.

"Sure" said Tosh, "it seems like ages since Ianto made breakfast."

Jack's thoughts went to Ianto; he had obviously taken on a hell of a lot of responsibility since he had been away and still looked after the team.

"Jack?" Owen interrupted Jack's thoughts, "me and Tosh are ordering, do you want anything?"

Jack shook his head, his mind was made up, he couldn't leave Ianto to cool off, he knew that the young man would just sit in his flat and stew. "I'm alright thanks guys, you two enjoy yourselves and take the day off tomorrow."

Jack left Tosh and Owen laying on Owen's bed, propped up by pillows and watching the television. He made his way to his room and used the phone there to dial a number that he knew off by heart, as he waited for Ianto's phone to ring he wondered what had happened to his own mobile phone. Saxon at one point had used it to try and contact his team when it was evident that they were still alive and certainly not in the Himalayas; but thankfully the team had had the foresight to destroy their phones to prevent them from being traced.

After what seemed like an age Ianto answered his phone, "hello?"

For a second Jack couldn't speak, he swallowed hurriedly and croaked, "it's me."

Ianto audibly sighed, "what do you want?"

"Can I come over? We got off on the wrong foot earlier...I never meant...I just want to talk Yan."

"I don't think there is anything to say sir."

Jack closed his eyes at the cool tone Ianto was using, "please Ianto, just give me a chance to explain."

"Will you leave me alone afterwards if I do?" asked Ianto suddenly.

Jack swallowed, "if that's what you want."

"Give me half an hour" said Ianto "I was showering when you called."

Jack closed his eyes at the idea of a wet, dripping Ianto and forced himself not to make an innuendo.

"Okay" he said "thank you."

"Just don't make me regret this Jack" said Ianto abruptly before hanging up.

Jack fell back onto his bed and kept an eye on the time, he needed to work out what he was going to tell Ianto and needed to work out how he was going to get him back.


	2. Chapter 2 of 3

**Author Note: Torchwood is owned by the BBC. Also, this chapter contains information about Jack's past so essentially has spoilers for the 'The Parting of Ways', 'Day One', 'Countrycide', 'Last of the Time Lords', 'End of Days' and 'Fragments' episodes of Torchwood and Doctor Who. **

Chapter Two

Jack stood outside Ianto's front door and couldn't bring himself to knock. He felt stupid, if a solid piece of wood was being this much of an obstacle how on earth could he explain to Ianto what had happened? He raised his fist and knocked, taking in a deep breath as he heard Ianto approach the door.

"Hi" he smiled.

"Hello Jack" said Ianto, his tone wasn't exactly rude or unfriendly but it lacked warmth.

Jack followed Ianto into the kitchen, "would you like a coffee?" he asked politely.

"Please" said Jack. He sat down at the kitchen table and waited for Ianto to brew his orgasmic coffee. Before he knew it a coffee mug was placed in front of him and Jack took a tentative sip, he doubted that Ianto actually possessed decaf in his own home but he couldn't be sure.

"God" he groaned, "I missed this" he smiled at Ianto who just frowned and looked away.

"What do you want to say Jack?" he asked, clearly wanting this conversation to be over.

"I...I'm sorry" began Jack, "for leaving I mean...well I'm not sorry for leaving because I needed to go but I'm sorry that I left the way that I did. I should have left a note but... look if you want to know I'll tell you everything."

Ianto said nothing but kept his gaze on Jack, so Jack continued.

"How do I even start? I was with the Doctor."

"I know" said Ianto, "I recognised his police box from Canary Wharf."

"I was a companion of the Doctor's years ago along with Rose Tyler, but we ran into trouble on a space station in the future and long story short I was exterminated by Daleks."

Ianto's fingers tightened around his mug minutely but he said nothing.

"At that point I was mortal and figured that that was it but something happened. I woke up, came back... but the Doctor had left and I didn't know what had happened to me. I used this" Jack tapped his vortex manipulator "to get to twenty first century Earth because I knew that the Doctor would be here. His ship, the TARDIS it uses rift energy to fuel itself so I knew that eventually he'd come back."

Jack paused and Ianto said, "but?"

Jack sighed, "my vortex manipulator got it wrong and I came here a hundred years too early, it burnt out and I couldn't get back. I figured that that was it, I would never get back home and I settled into life on twentieth century Earth. Heck I even got married."

Ianto was shocked, he had no idea that Jack had been married, but it made sense he supposed that being faced with eternity Jack would want to have a little companionship.

"But then I died and came back...and it kept happening Ianto and I didn't know why. I got picked up by Torchwood when they heard about my inability to stay dead and worked as a freelance agent. Eventually as time passed I became a fully fledged member, just...waiting I suppose. Waiting for my Doctor to come and explain to me what the hell happened."

Ianto nodded, "and?"

Jack sighed, "I set up a...a Doctor detector using his DNA."

Ianto immediately knew that Jack meant the hand in the jar that Jack fiercely protected when Carys stole it.

"After I came back after Abaddon...well it went off but the thing is the Doctor had abandoned me once, I didn't expect him to stick around for me. I just grabbed my things and ran. You have to understand Ianto; I had waited so long for him. I didn't have time to say goodbye...and when I got there...well I couldn't exactly call."

"I wasn't angry with you that day" said Ianto quietly.

"What?" Jack was shocked.

"Jack, I thought that that was it, we'd never see you again. I mean Christ" Ianto ran a hand through his hair frustratedly. "We'd all betrayed you; I saw Lisa and betrayed you _again_. Owen saw Diane, Tosh her mother, Gwen and Rhys...Owen _shot_ you and because of our mistake...Abaddon... you were dead for days. I wouldn't want to stick around either."

"So why are you so angry? I thought...well things seemed okay in the office, we said about that date..."

Ianto frowned, "Jack, I thought that you left because of us, that we were never going to see you again and it turns out that actually you just went off in a time machine. _Then_ I felt abandoned, then I realised that we didn't push you away, you went _willingly_. And then you expect us to start shagging again straight away! You didn't think that perhaps I had moved on, or would want a little more respect this time."

Jack grimaced, "I am sorry Ianto, I didn't think how it would seem. I just...I missed you so much."

The sincerity in Jack's voice surprised Ianto. "So why wait three months to come back? Why not three minutes?"

Jack sighed, "another long story."

"We have all night" said Ianto patiently.

"Ianto...the thing is for you it's only been three months but for me it's been a year. You know when the American president was assassinated and Saxon disappeared?"

Ianto nodded, "we always suspected something bigger went on but...well we couldn't prove it and you know what it's like when the government decides to keep quiet."

Jack nodded, "you were right. The reason I came back three months later is because there was a huge temporal paradox, it meant that the TARDIS couldn't land any earlier, time lines are too messed up and distorted."

Ianto was confused, Jack had been gone for a year, there had been a temporal paradox. His puzzlement obviously showed on his face as Jack continued.

"The Toclafane were not aliens Ianto...they were humans from the future."

Ianto looked horrified.

"When I ran to the Doctor the TARDIS tried to shake me off, apparently fixed points in time and space upset her." He chuckled humourlessly and was made slightly happier by Ianto squeezing his hand for a second. "That's what I am a fixed point, nothing can be done to change it."

"I'm sorry" murmured Ianto.

Jack smiled weakly and continued "we landed at the end of the universe, the stars were going out and we were with the last few humans left in existence."

Jack then went on to tell Ianto what happened, how the world was enslaved, how he was tortured daily and even the fates of his own team. Ianto wasn't sure when they both first began to cry but as Jack neared the end of his story they both had tears coursing down their cheeks.

"God Jack I am so sorry" Ianto whispered, coming closer.

"I should never have gone, he couldn't fix me anyway...he called me wrong Ianto. The Doctor is the most beautiful being in the universe, he always saves the day and even had the capacity to forgive Saxon... but yet he can't bear to look at me. He left me on that game station knowing that I was stuck and unable to die."

Ianto pulled Jack into his arms and felt the immortal man shudder as he sobbed. He couldn't understand how Jack's supposedly wonderful Doctor could call this brave and beautiful man in front of him wrong. It wasn't his fault, it wasn't Rose Tyler's fault either, she couldn't control the energy and she had saved Jack out of love.

Soon Jack's tears stopped and he looked at Ianto embarrassed, "I'm sorry" he whispered, "I should go, it's getting late."

"Jack" Ianto hesitated, "look you can stay here if you like...but just to sleep yeah?"

"No, Ianto its fine I'll drive back to the hotel."

Ianto frowned, "you've been yawning for the past hour and from what I gather you need to rest after all these deaths you've experienced. You're body needs to heal after what Hart did Jack."

Jack wanted to stay, he desperately didn't want to be alone, "you sure?" he asked.

Ianto nodded and then yawned himself, "come on."

Jack followed Ianto into his room; he had never really been in here before. When they shagged it was usually in the hub, the only time Jack had been in Ianto's bedroom was after the cannibals when he helped the young man get into bed.

He gratefully took a t-shirt from Ianto and began to change into it, the men had both seen enough of each other not to be embarrassed. Once he was in just the t-shirt and his boxers Jack looked at Ianto and was shocked. The man had no t-shirt on and Jack could see the angry red lines of a healing wound, without even thinking Jack traced the wound with his fingertips, shivering at the feeling of Ianto's warm skin. Five long scratches adorned the man's pale, white skin and were slowly turning into scars.

Ianto stepped back, "sorry" muttered Jack.

Ianto smiled and shook his head, "its fine."

"What happened?"

"Weevil" said Ianto, "I'm fine Jack honestly."

The young man pulled on his t-shirt went to his bed and pulled back the duvet, "getting in?" he asked. Jack soon joined Ianto and after a while fell into an uneasy sleep.

Ianto woke up to a noise, his sleep fuzzled brain took a moment to catch up with him and he realised that Jack was back and asleep in his bed. Ianto heard the noise again and realised that it was Jack; he turned on the lamp next to his bed and looked at the sleeping man. He was curled up tightly and whimpering in his sleep, Ianto thought that he could make out the words 'no' and 'please.' Ianto's heart ached, he so wanted to be mad at Jack but he had been through something so traumatic it was unreal. To be imprisoned and tortured for a year...watching the world die and not being able to do anything about it...Ianto couldn't imagine what Jack had gone through.

"Jack" he said calmly, touching the man's shoulder lightly, "Jack wake up." But Jack was trapped in his nightmare and refusing to wake, he moaned in his sleep. "Jack!" said Ianto a little louder, shaking the man gently. Jack woke with a great gasp, taking in deep breaths, eyes looking wild. "It's okay Jack, it was just a dream, you're safe, you're here. We are all okay" said Ianto keeping a firm hold on the man.

Jack just held on to Ianto, his breathing shaky, "Yan?" he whispered.

"You're okay Jack, it was just a nightmare."

After a while Jack's breathing began to even out as he fell asleep again, feeling safe in Ianto's arms. Ianto carefully leant back and turned off the lamp. He eyed Jack in the dark as Jack moved and ended up with his head on Ianto's chest. Ianto knew that his arm would go dead soon but didn't want to move Jack; this was a bit intimate for his liking but he couldn't begrudge Jack this little bit of comfort. The poor man had been through enough.


	3. Chapter 3 of 3

**Author Note: Torchwood is owned by the BBC. Slight spoiler for 'Fragments'.**

Chapter Three

Jack woke up the next morning and to his horror he realised that not only had he invaded Ianto's personal space in his sleep, he had also drooled over his chest. Jack carefully sat up, making sure not to disturb Ianto and prayed that the younger man's t-shirt would dry before he woke up.

Ianto woke up alone and for a second he thought that he had dreamt Jack's return and their conversation. The sheets next to him were cold and Ianto cursed his vivid imagination, he rolled his head to the side and his eyes widened at the sight of a note that was on the pillow next to him.

_Ianto, _

_Thank you for everything last night. I've gone back to the Hub I've got a lot of reports to catch up on. Take today off, you deserve it. See you tomorrow. _

_Jack. _

Ianto smiled as he realised that Jack was back; his face fell as he remembered Jack's nightmare and what he had been through. Ianto made a quick decision and went to have a shower.

Jack looked up in surprise as the cog wheel rolled and alarms blared, although he had a good idea at who it would be. He got up from his desk and made his way down to the main area of the Hub.

"I told you to take the day off" he said.

"I know" Ianto replied, "and I am, look no suit." Jack had to smile at the sight of Ianto in a t-shirt, cardigan and jeans. "I figured that you would use today to catch up so I might as well be the one to debrief you."

Ianto immediately regretted his choice of words and Jack struggled not to make a joke, he knew that Ianto wouldn't appreciate it.

"Plus there's stuff that we need to go over that the others don't know about, it would be easiest to talk about it when they're not in" Ianto continued.

"Oh?" said Jack raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah UNIT have been on my back for months and its confidential stuff that the others don't need to know about. They've been pressuring us over specific technology and files; I've been denying them access to certain things based on your orders in the past." Ianto busied himself with the coffee machine whilst talking to Jack. "They've also been questioning Tosh's position; obviously I haven't told her. I didn't want her to worry."

Jack stiffened, "you know how she came here?"

Ianto nodded, "I knew all your passwords anyway, so when they started asking questions I accessed her file, her five years are nearly up you know."

Jack nodded, "I know, what did they want?"

"They started asking questions about her role within Torchwood and whether she should be allowed near sensitive technology. Obviously I told them politely where to stuff it, they demanded to talk to you and I said that you were on some sort of top secret mission somewhere. They then tried to subtly get it out of me what you were up to so I _accidently_" Ianto smirked, "dropped enough hints to suggest that you are somewhere in South Africa. As far as I know they have three teams searching for you and what you are working on."

Jack laughed "nice one Yan." He accepted his mug of coffee with a smile and the two men made their way to his office.

"I think that you need to warn Tosh though Jack."

"What do you mean?" asked Jack, sitting behind his desk.

"They're obviously counting down to the end of her five years, I've protected her as much as I can but..." he paused and sighed, "if Tosh decided to leave then I can see them trying to get to her."

Jack frowned, "do you think that she will leave?"

Ianto shook his head, "I doubt it but we have to be prepared."

"Thank you Ianto" Jack said "for not worrying her I mean."

"It was the least I could do."

"Anything else?" asked Jack.

Ianto looked downward, "after...after we opened the rift it was really volatile. We've got three new patients at Flat Holm."

Jack closed his eyes, he hadn't even thought about the facility he had set up when he had run after the Doctor.

"What did the others say when you found them?"

Ianto sipped his coffee, "they didn't, they still don't know."

Jack frowned, "what did you do retcon them?" he said incredulously.

Ianto scowled, "no Jack I dealt with it myself. I made sure all alerts went to my PDA instead of your wrist strap and when they came, found the rift victim and took them to the island. Which by the way you're still funding, I haven't taken you off the books, you've still been getting paid so that the money would go to the facility."

Jack was amazed at how organised Ianto had been; the team had said that he had taken on more work than them and that was only the things that they knew about. "Thank you" he said quietly.

As the day progressed Ianto told Jack about every case, Weevil capture, alien encounter and new pieces of technology that the team had dealt with during his absence. Jack couldn't fail to notice that most of the paperwork was in Ianto's handwriting and from the reports he could see that Ianto has stepped up as a competent field agent. His guilt intensified as the day went on, Ianto had taken on so much, his whole team had, but Ianto had suffered the most because of his leaving.

Ianto looked at his watch, "hmm, there goes my day off its six already."

Jack looked up in surprise they had been so busy he hadn't realised the time going by, "fancy getting some chips?" he asked, he'd had a hankering for fish and chips ever since he had stepped off of the TARDIS.

Ianto smiled, "well I suppose that you do own me a date."

Jack shook his head, "it's not a date, when I do take you on a date it will be a proper meal, and planned in advance."

"Yeah?" said Ianto getting out of his seat.

"There'll be reservations and everything" grinned Jack as Ianto helped him into his coat, he'd missed this, the small intimate touches that he and Ianto shared.

As the two men walked along to the nearest chip shop Ianto smiled as Jack cautiously took his hand giving him time to pull away, but Ianto decided to keep their hands entwined. Ianto wanted to be angry at Jack and he still was, he felt abandoned and had been lonely these last few months; but then he was also glad that the man was back. Jack had gone through something so horrible that Ianto couldn't really be cross with him and he knew that if Jack could of he would have come back sooner. Ianto knew that it would take him some time before he wanted to resume the physical side of his relationship with Jack; but he was sure that whatever Jack had planned for their date would go a long way in helping it start again.


End file.
